The Outcasts The Wannabes And The Plastics

While high school in reality is full of surprises and twisty roads, teen television shows and movies are based off a strict set of conventions that allude to other teen films. In David Denby 's "High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies," he describes the typical movie storyline and characters: the blonde, superficial cheerleaders that make up the popular crowd, along with the buff, handsome jocks versus the social outcasts comprised of geeks and freaks. Denby continues to explain the nature of these two social standings, including how the “cool group” bullies anyone below them. Denby goes on further to discuss how a particular outsider usually becomes the hero or heroine of the story, despite their social discomfort or awkward

1985 and 2004 may seem like two very different eras, with different problems and views of life. The films The Breakfast Club (TBC) and Mean Girls (MG) are quite different from one another, however, they seem to grasp the same concept and problems faced by youth. Although these films somewhat mirror one another, the films also have many differences such as, the topic of sexuality, attire, and ethics and morals. MG and TBC portray youth in similar ways, however are in two very different time periods. Characters in the films are portrayed very differently from one another, however some of these characters both share the same thoughts or morals despite being from two different eras. Generation change between these movies are very different from

Identity; Romance; Segregation; Beauty; Friendship; Within the film industry’s classic interpretation of female adolescents, these elements of teen culture are typically represented. A film’s demonstration of themes such as relationship tensions or social status struggles are that which attracts the popular viewership of female adolescents, for they are personally dealing with similar experiences. Furthermore, in continually representing the aforementioned traditional elements of teen culture, the film industry seems to make it so films’ story-lines and characterizations adapt to and directly reflect the era in which the film is set. This adaptation is significantly demonstrated in the popular teen films The Breakfast Club (1985), Clueless (1995), and Mean Girls (2004) as they each clearly and diversely characterize young women based on the distinct time period and the cultural attitude towards teen girls of that time. The Breakfast Club (1985) details five high school students in Illinois, a nerd, a jock, a bad boy, a weirdo, and a

In an essay published in the New Yorker in May 1999, entitled “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies,” writer David Denby analyzes movies targeted towards teenagers and the stereotypes associated with them. He begins his essay by describing the archetypal characters in high school genre films: the vapid popular girl and her athletic male counterpart, and the intellectual outsider and her awkward male counterpart. He then describes the reality of teen life, and compares it to the experience depicted in these films. Next, he analyzes the common theme that the geeky characters are the protagonists, and suggests there are such because of their writer's personal experience and a history of geeks being ostracized. Finally, Denby analyzes the tropes in

In the film “Mean Girls” there were many types of peer relationships expressed. Friendships are described as a reciprocal liking, trust, and loyalty between all participating dyadic parties. An example in the film is the relationship that Damian and Janis hold because they are loyal to each other and the liking is mutual. Peer acceptance is to the degree one is liked by their peers. In the film Aaron Samuels is very much liked by his peers. Perceived popular is a child that is considered popular based on their peers’ perceptions. Regina George is a prime example of teenage girl perceived as popular. When students described Regina George in the film these type of comments were made, “Regina George is flawless”, “One time she punched me in the faced. It was awesome.”, and “she always looks fierce.” Cliques are polyadic social groups that are voluntary. A main clique in the movie is “The Plastics” which consists of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith. These forms of peer relationships are a lot more complex than just a group of friends, these relationships of dynamic in early adolescence.

It has not been too long ago that I still remember my adolescent years. I always remember the unintelligent things I did that I wish could change, but this Psychology class made me realize that all adolescents go through the same things I experienced. Adolescents are known to try to find their identity, go through peer pressure, make mistakes, and try new things. The move I picked that closely represented what adolescents go through was “Mean Girls”. Some of the scenes in the movie seem a little exaggerated, but it has happened in certain high schools even though I had not experienced it personally.

High school, the best times of our lives. But in every situation others don’t experience it as the time of their lives. In specific, the so called, “Loser, Nerds, Outcasts." Sometimes the perception that most high school movies convey for this certain group are the reality. In this article "High school confidential: Notes on teen movies" by David Denby, He describes the functions of an everyday American high school. David Denby uses very effective language and rhetoric to provide the minds of the opposing side. A sample of the rhetoric skills he uses is stereotypes, ethos, and pathos.

When you picture a teenager you picture fighting, drinking, or answering back, am I right? However, this is simply not the case. Sure there is the minority of trouble makers. However this minority is exaggerated due to the news showing only this behaviour. This stereotyping has found its audience and crept into television shows and series. This has led to the creation of a mockumentary called “Summer Heights High” which has unfairly represented teen

The author of the essay “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies,” David Denby, purpose was to explain the stereotypical high school movie genre. Most teen movies follow certain criteria that some may feel has little reflection on what high school is truly like while others may feel these movies are exactly what high school is like. In typical teen movies, there are usually the cool kids, the popular cheerleader with the jock boyfriend, and that outsider nerd or outcast. Where that cool kids control the playground and the outcast just try to fit in and be part of the cool clique or stay as far away as possible and avoid humiliation. The film “Easy A" proves to follow this exact pattern that Denby speaks of, just as stereotypical as any other teen film.

The movie Mean Girls is a comedy that came out in 2004, which was written by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters. The plot of the film is that it is in a high school setting and it focuses on cliques. Regina George, Karen Smith, Gretchen Wieners, and Cady Heron are the main characters that make up the “Plastics” and are the most popular girls, the “Mean Girls”. There are many cliques at North Shore High School, the high school in Mean Girls that range from the “Plastics” to the jocks, to the band geeks, to the art freaks. Cady Heron, the main character, who used to live in Africa with her parents, was home schooled for sixteen years of her life, and was a girl who did not care for fashion or what others though of her. Out of know where during lunch one of the girls from the “Plastics” asked Cady to join them and she does get accepted into their group. Even though Cady does not want to be part of the clique at first, she joins and later on she changes dramatically to fit in with the “Plastics”. In my opinion this demonstrates gender roles and finding your identity. Also, when a person is in high school that is usually the time when young girls are finishing

Mean Girls reinforces the aspect of tragedy by creating a lesson that being yourself is better than becoming someone you’re not.

Cady Heron is a 16 year old teenager who moved to a small town in Chicago where she also attended Northshore High School. She was homeschooled by her parents and they also stayed in Africa for about 12 years because of her parents job but since her mom got an offer in Chicago they have to move back. Since it was her first time going to a mainstream school, it was really hard for her to adapt especially her age. It would also be her first time dealing with a lot of social rules that many teenage girls deal with today. Her first friends that she met at this new school are pretty much complete outcasts, Janice Ian Dyke and Damien, later on she finds herself crossing paths with the three most popular girls in the school called, The Plastics. Regina George who’s “The Queen Bee” of the group, leading this group of 3 girls, tries to make Cady be apart of this clique by introducing her to their crazy rules and luxury lifestyles. She told Janice and Damien that

In the movie Mean Girls the one girl points out all the different groups of kids the Jocks,the nerds, the goths, and the plastics. The jocks are the athletic kids in the school and the guys that get all the girls. The nerds are the smart kids that get good grades. The goths are the kids that are really dark and like rock music. The plastics are the girls that the guys want to be with there hot and they are rich. The plastics are kinda like the marathas in the book the speak because they are popular and they do all the stuff

It contains structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and punishments.” The social inequality that was provided in the movie Mean Girls involves the “burn book”. The burn book is a book created by the plastics which includes pictures of girls in the school and includes a rude or insulting comment on it. That book caused a lot of trouble in the school. Most of the comments in that book were usually untrue. The book was just supposed to stay within the clique, but when Regina found out that Cady was actually helping her gain weight instead of losing weight she was really furious and she exposed the group to everyone in the school which lead to chaos and all sorts of problems. The whole school caused an absolute craze among all the junior girls. The contained a lot of prejudice and very discriminating remarks and they made the plastic look superior.

Young girls watch these movies and expect that high school should be a particular way. Unless you have a full figured woman’s body like Regina George’s, then you will not be “the in girl”. Although each of these films glamorize the lives of the popular girls in school, they have clear moral values on how being catty will ultimately have you end up ruining your reputation.